Machine for producing a plastic-covered glass container

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to a machine for making a plastic covering on a rigid base article which in the illustrated form comprises a glass bottle and a conforming shrunken plastic covering thereon. The plastic is fed in oriented sheet form to the turret apparatus, cut into lengths and wrapped and seamed on successive mandrels as sleeves. Bottles are simultaneously processed to preheat condition and indexed over the sleeves, the latter telescopically assembled on the rigid base article, i.e., the bottle, and the combination carried to a heat tunnel. The plastic sleeve shrinks into snug surface fit on the adjacent surface portion of the rigid base article. The bottle is preheated in one of two embodiments by: (1) a preheat tunnel on the machine which raises the bottles from room temperature to about 220* F, or (2) the preheat is carried over as latent heat in the glass bottle from the annealing lehr, a part of the bottle manufacturing process. The machine includes novel subassemblies comprised of (1) a bottle chuck and loading station for assuring proper loading of the bottles on the machine, (2) bottle handling, (3) plastic strip handling and feed mechanism for placing oriented cut lengths onto mandrels of the turret, (4) the turret for making seamed sleeves in succession and feeding them onto registered bottles carried by the bottle handling apparatus, and (5) unloading device for transfer of the covered bottles to a conveyor and with said transfer smoothening the bottom surface of the covering on the bottle.

States Patent {19 Aniberg et al.

7 j July 9, 1974 [5 MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A PLASTIC-COVERED GLASS CONTAINER [75] Inventors: Stephen W. Amberg, St. James;

1 Thomas E. Doherty, Setauket, both of N.Y.; Clarence A. Heyne, Sun City, Ariz.

[73] Assignee: Owens-Illinois lnc., Toledo, Ohio 22 File July 10,1973 [21] Appl. No.1 378,002

Related US. Application Data I 1 ,Q vvis qn 9252x6180 2 5 .2. .920 97.125...

521 u.s.ci...-... ..29/20sn 51 Int. Cl B23p 19/04 [58] Field of Search 29/208 B, 200 A, 282, 234,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES'PATENTS 3,195,228 7/1965 Beacham 29/208 B 3,267,566 8/1966 Quellette 29/208 B 3,439,404 4/1969 Peatson 29/208 B Primary Examiner-Thomas l-l. Eager Attorney, Agent, or Firm-J. R. Nelson [57 ABSTRACT The disclosure relates to a machine for making a plastic covering on a rigid base article which in the illus- RESETTING MAN DRELS TO BEGIN WIND CYCLE.

trated form comprises a glass bottle and a conforming shrunken plastic covering thereon; The plastic is fed in oriented sheet form to the turret apparatus, cut into lengths and wrapped and seamed on successive mandrels as sleeves. Bottles are simultaneously processed to preheat condition and indexed over the sleeves, the latter telescopically assembled on the rigid base article, i.e., the bottle, andthe combination carried to a heat tunnel. The plastic sleeve shrinks into snug surface fit on the adjacent surface portion of the rigid base article.

The bottle is preheated in one of two embodiments by: (l)' a preheat tunnel on the machine which raises the bottles from room temperature to about 220 F, or (2) the preheat is carried over as latent heat in the glass bottle from the annealing lehr, a part of the bottle manufacturing process.

The machine includes novel subassemblies' comprised of (l) a bottle chuck and loading station for assuring proper loading of the bottleson the machine, (2) bottle handling, (3) plastic strip handling and feed mechanism for placing oriented cut lengths onto mandrelsof the turret, (4) the turret for making seamed sleeves in succession and feeding them. onto registered bottles carried by the bottle handling apparatus, and (5) unloading device for transfer of the covered bottles to a conveyor and with said transfer smoothening the bottom surface of the covering on the bottle. I 2

12 Claims, 39 Drawing Figures PAIENTEI] JUL 9 I974 sum '01 or 21 PMENTED JUL 91974 saw 02 w 21 PATENTED M 91974 sum 03 w 21 TENTEDJUL mm FIG. 6

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FIG. 7

SHEEI .98 0F ET PMENTED 91974 3.822.459

sum 07 W 2T FIG. IO

FIG. 9

PMENTEDJUL 91w 3.822.459

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79 49 FIG. I2 I I2 49 79 w 69a 8 F 54 a 49., j 49. w 54oz.

49 FIG. l3

PTENTEDJUL 91914 3.8229459 sum 0 0? u FIG. I4

PATENTED 9'974 3.822%59 sum mar U FIG. I5

PMENTED L 91974 sum 12 m: a}

m E 6E ATENTEDJUL M 7 3822.459

saw 13 0f 27 FIG. l6

PATENIEDJUL w 3.822.459

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PATENTEDJUL 9w 3.822.459

sum v.1; 0F M FIG. 17B

WIND CYCLE.

RESETTING MANDRELS TO BEGIN WIND CYCLE.

PATENTED JUL 974 sum 1M 21 FIG, I8 A PMENTED L 74 sum 13 or 21 

1. A feed device for a flexible web of material comprising means supporting a web supply of said material, a pair of feed rollers for engaging the web, said rollers rotatably mounted on parallel shafts, means advancing the web into the feed rollers, means connected to said parallel shafts for rotating said feed rollers in opposite directions advancing the web therebetween, a feed drum, means mounting said drum parallel with said rollers and spaced beyond said feed rollers from said web advancing means, said feed drum comprising a continuous peripheral surface of a length greater than one predetermined strip length of material to be cut from said web, first vacuum means connected to the feed drum peripheral surface, and second vacuum means connected to the feed drum peripheral surface, said first and second vacuum means being spaced circumferentially on said drum a distance less than said predetermined strip length, means connected to rotatably drive said Feed drum at a speed such that the surface velocity of said drum exceeds the linear velocity of the web being moved by the feed rollers, the first vacuum means and second vacuum means applying a slip-clutch effect on said web maintaining it taut between said feed rollers and feed drum, and knife means operable for cutting predetermined lengths of strip from said web on said feed drum, whereby severed strip lengths are advanced by the feed drum.
 2. The feed device of claim 1, further comprising control means connected to said first and second vacuum means for applying vacuum thereto during predetermined intervals of rotation of the feed drum.
 3. The feed device of claim 1, wherein said knife means comprises a shaft supported parallel to the surface of the feed drum, an axially disposed knife element extending radially from said shaft and engageable with material on the adjacent peripheral surface of the feed drum, and means connected to rotate the shaft for revolving the knife into and out of cutting position along said feed drum periphery.
 4. The feed device of defined in claim 1, further comprising a winding mandrel having a curved outer surface and spaced from said knife means in the direction of peripheral movement of the feed drum surface, the mandrel being disposed parallel with said drum and its outer surface substantially tangentially adjacent said drum, whereby said strip on the feed drum is carried into surface engagement on the mandrel, means securing a leading edge portion of the strip on the mandrel, and means for revolving the mandrel, thereby transferring the strip from the feed drum onto the mandrel surface.
 5. The feed device defined in calim 4, further comprising means connected to the feed drum peripheral surface for applying a puff of air under pressure to the underside of the leading edge portion of the strip, and means for introducing air under pressure to said lastmentioned means responsive to movement of the leading edge portion of the strip on the feed drum into tangential relation with the outer surface of the mandrel, thereby positively transferring the strip to the mandrel.
 6. The feed drum device defined in claim 4, wherein the means on the mandrel for securing the leading edge portion of the strip thereon comprises vacuum applying means on the outer surface of the mandrel, and means in the mandrel for connecting vacuum to the said last-mentioned means.
 7. A feed device for handling flexible web material and forming discrete lengths from said web comprising a pair of opposed parallel feed rolls mounted on opposite surfaces of the web for nip engagement therewith, drive means connected to said rolls for rotating them in opposite directions in driving contact with said web, a feed drum spaced from said rolls to receive the advancing web fed by said rolls, means on said drum for slip engagement of the web by the drum periphery, means operative for cutting successive discrete lengths of material from said web while at least a portion of each of the said cut lengths is engaged by said drum, and drive means connected to said feed drum rotating it in a direction advancing the web from said feed rollers, said drive means rotating the feed drum at a speed whereby the peripheral speed of the drum is in excess of the linear speed of the web being advanced by said feed rollers.
 8. The feed device defined in claim 7, wherein means for cutting lengths of material from the web comprises a rotary member, an elongate knife element attached axially on said rotary element, means mounting said member parallel to said feed drum for cutting engagement of said knife element with the web on the peripheral surface of said drum, and means for driving said rotary member in timed relationship with the feed drum.
 9. The feed device defined in claim 8, wherein said means driving the rotary element is operated at a ratio of approximately three revolutions for each revolution of said feed drum.
 10. The feed device defined in claim 7, wherein the means on the drum for slip engagement with the web comprises peripherally spaced set of vacuum applying ports disposed in series on said peripheral drum surface, said set including forward ports and rearward ports, the two being peripherally spaced a distance less than the discrete length of material to be cut from the web, a source of vacuum, means in said drum connecting said vacuum source and said set of ports, the forwardmost ports engaging the web near its leading edge and advancing the web in taut condition while a forward length is cut therefrom.
 11. The feed device defined in claim 8, further comprising means connecting the feed roller drive means and the rotary knife drive means synchronizing the rotary movement of the feed rollers and the knife.
 12. The feed device defined in claim 11, wherein the drive means for said rollers includes a register control means having a surface scanning device mounted adjacent one surface of the web, there being predetermined longitudinally spaced indicia on said web, and phase adjusting means operated by said scanning device in response to said indicia for advancing or retarding the feed rollers in registering the movement of the web past the knife, thereby controlling the position along said web for cutting successive discrete lengths therefrom. 